Following his win over Hector Lombard at UFC 149, Boetsch finds himself in the thick of title contention in the UFC's crowded middleweight division, but that does not mean he is ready; it simply means he has amassed a nice winning streak.

Personally, I am a fan of Boetsch, and, being a born and raised Pennsylvania boy, I like rooting for the home-state fighter.

That said, he cannot beat Anderson Silva. Are you kidding me?!

I do not think it is a stretch to declare the style that beats Silva: You have to be a powerful, aggressive wrestler with a smothering top game capable of pinning "The Spider" to the mat.

Despite his impressive wrestling pedigree, that is not Boetsch.

Boetsch is simply a really, really tough dude who always puts himself in a position to win fights with his resilience and power.

Sorry to say, but you cannot beat Anderson Silva, the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, with just resilience and power.

The bout begins, they each circle around, Boetsch may throw a leg kick or two and shoot for a takedown, only to have Anderson sprawl and defend it.

Now, Anderson is ready, and once he strikes, Boetsch falls.

Do I underestimate Boetsch's ability?

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Do I underestimate Boetsch's ability?

Yes

18.9%

No

81.1%

Total votes: 264

I legitimately think the fight is that cut and dry.

Yushin Okami took Boetsch down at will, yet he could not bring Silva to the mat in his most recent fight with the champion.

Even though Boetsch is a great wrestler on paper, we have yet to really see the explosive takedowns necessary to deal with someone of Silva's ability.

Boetsch could not get Hector Lombard to the mat at UFC 149, but Lombard was able to blast a powerful double on Boetsch on two separate occasions. Granted, Lombard could not keep him there, but the fact remains that Boetsch was taken down by a lesser wrestler.

Anderson Silva has fought and beaten great wrestlers throughout his career, and Tim Boetsch brings nothing new to the table that should concern the champ.

I would be excited to see one of my favorite fighters in a title matchup, but I would legitimately fret for "The Barbarian's" well being in a matchup with Silva.

Silva has eight limbs of fury, and he would need two rounds at most to dispose of Boetsch and add another notch to his already-crowded belt.